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Hyperactivity Sugar Link Being questioned

Oct. 22, 2013|237 views

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I am so afraid of sugar that even though I love the taste (and who doesn’t, mmm!) I do everything I can to consume as little as possible.

There’s a persistent myth that sugar makes children hyperactive. Don’t get me wrong. Sugar is bad for kids—and adults, too, for that matter—for a number of reasons. Some experts believe it’s downright toxic, and I happ...en to agree. It affects metabolism and sets the stage for a host of lifestyle diseases. But there’s no credible evidence that feeding candy to a roomful of children is guaranteed to make them run amok. Research has discredited this folk myth repeatedly. But if sugar alone isn’t the culprit, what is it?

It looks like it isn’t the sugar candy the one to blame for the hyperactivity after a candy feast but the beautiful colors in which it is presented. Food colorings have been used for decades in the food industry, some colors are natural but the ones found in candy usually are not.

These artificial colorings, which are widely used in candy and many other products targeted at children, are derived from petroleum. That’s right. If your child eats colored foods or drinks, he’s probably consuming synthetic food-coloring chemicals derived from petroleum.

Research strongly suggests these fake colorings ARE capable of promoting hyperactive behavior, at least among a subset of children prone to hyperactivity. In fact, the evidence is clear enough that the European Union has taken steps to ban some synthetic dyes from the food supply. The United States, meanwhile, has failed to follow suit.

Instead, we’re throwing still more potent prescription medications at growing numbers of small children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other neurobehavioral disorders. And we’re ignoring a potential culprit lurking in kids’ diets: artificial food colorings.

If you have kids like I do, I know it’s overwhelming to think about the alternatives. Where do you start? Leave a comment below. Let me know what tools you have used to avoid food colorings in your family. I’ll share them with other readers. Remember, knowledge is power, and we are a team.

PS: If you would like to learn my secrets to get your kids to eat healthier foods that are free of sugar and colorings (without them noticing!), leave a comment and let me know what you’d like to read about. I’d love to hear from you.